Donkey Kong Land

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This article is about the first game in the Donkey Kong Land series. For the series itself, see Donkey Kong Land (series). For the game called "Donkey Kong Land" in Japanese releases, see Donkey Kong Land 2.
Donkey Kong Land
North American box art for Donkey Kong Land
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Rareware
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Game Boy, Virtual Console (Nintendo 3DS)
Release date Game Boy:
USA June 26, 1995
Japan July 27, 1995
Europe August 24, 1995
Virtual Console (3DS):
Japan April 2, 2014[1]
Europe October 16, 2014
Australia October 17, 2014
USA February 26, 2015
Genre Platformer
Rating(s) Game Boy:
ESRB:K-A - Kids to Adults
Virtual Console:[2][3][4]
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
Mode(s) Single-player
Media
Game Boy:
Game Pak
Nintendo 3DS:
Digital download
Input
Game Boy:
Nintendo 3DS:

Donkey Kong Land is a platformer video game developed by Rareware for the Game Boy. Released in 1995, it is a handheld follow-up of Donkey Kong Country. It is one of the few Game Boy games with a uniquely colored cartridge (yellow), which is also the case for its two sequels, Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III. Donkey Kong Land is among the first Game Boy titles specifically designed to have Super Game Boy features, including a rendered jungle border across the television screen.

Donkey Kong Land was later released for the 3DS's Virtual Console in Japan on April 2, 2014, in Europe on October 16, 2014, in Australia on October 17, 2014 and in North America on February 26, 2015.

The game is often mistaken as a Game Boy port of Donkey Kong Country. Although the two games play the same using the same engine, the storyline is different and Donkey Kong Land has different and/or unique levels, enemies, and bosses from the ones featured in Donkey Kong Country.

Story[edit]

The story is told in the game's instruction booklet and features a lot of fourth wall references; it takes place after the events of Donkey Kong Country, where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong discuss their latest adventure to Cranky Kong. Cranky admits that it was more successful than he thought, but claimed that it was only because of "fancy graphics" and that "Kids'll buy anything nowadays." As Cranky rambles about the games of his time, DK and Diddy try to convince him that Donkey Kong Country was great because it "was just plain fun."

Cranky remains unconvinced, and he challenges Donkey and Diddy to an adventure on an 8-bit monochrome system (the Game Boy). After they make the bet, Cranky arranges for King K. Rool to steal the banana hoard overnight. While Diddy originally agreed to the bet, Donkey Kong was furious because he wanted to watch the Banana Bowl. However, he reluctantly decided to go on an adventure with Diddy to retrieve the bananas from K. Rool.

Gameplay[edit]

The title screen for Donkey Kong Land, as seen with the Super Game Boy adapter
Donkey Kong near a Continue Point

Donkey Kong Land is a 2D platformer, designed for the Game Boy. Because of the Game Boy's limitations, the game offers less than its 16-bit predecessor. Graphics were ripped from Donkey Kong Country and downgraded to 8-bit to fit Game Boy's limitations. On the level select screen, names of the stages are no longer present, and each level has very few Bonus Areas, usually one or two. Only one Kong displays on-screen at a time, either Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong.

Additionally, after the Kongs find all the Bonus Areas in an area, an exclamation point appears above the level's circular marker in the overworld.

The game is divided into four worlds, each with seven normal levels, with the exception of the game's first world, Gangplank Galleon Ahoy!, which contains a total of nine. A boss level also appears in each world and must be completed to progress. Though most levels are unlocked after beating its previous level, some levels can be accessed before later levels. This can be done by finding rare, barrel-shaped bombs inside some levels and blasting away large boulders. With these boulders destroyed, a passageway to a certain level can be found. Unlike in Donkey Kong Country, the Kongs are able to travel freely to any level without any assistance, as they can simply journey world-to-world on foot.

Like in most platformer games, the goal is to reach the end of the level, without being defeated by an enemy or falling into a trap. The Kongs must make their way through each level carefully, or else an enemy may attack. When this happens, one of the Kongs in the group will run away. With one hero remaining, the player must be careful, as being hit by an enemy or obstacle results in losing a life. The missing Kong can be recovered from a Buddy Barrel, which appears in every level. Star Barrels were replaced with a different type of checkpoint, the Continue Points. Up to three can appear in a level. If the Kongs activate a Continue Point, their progress is temporarily saved at the point, and they would return to that point if they lose a life. Every level has a small portal for an end goal, the end of stage. The Kongs must jump into it to exit the level.

Also, as Cranky's Cabin does not appear in this game, players must collect the KONG Letters to save their progress, unlike in Donkey Kong Country and later Donkey Kong Land games, where collecting the letters only granted an extra life.

Playable characters and abilities[edit]

As in the SNES game, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are the only playable characters. The stats of these apes both vary, just as in the previous game.

Image Name Description
GB SGB
Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as he appears in Jungle Jaunt, Balloon Barrage bonus 2, and Fast Barrel Blast bonus 2 Donkey Kong The leader of the pair, Donkey Kong, does not move very fast. He is, however, very strong and is the only character able to beat the powerful foes, Krushas, without using a TNT Barrel. He carries barrels over his head.
Diddy Kong Sprite of Diddy Kong from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as he appears in Jungle Jaunt, Balloon Barrage bonus 2, and Fast Barrel Blast bonus 2 Diddy Kong Donkey Kong's sidekick, Diddy Kong is smaller, lighter, and quicker, and can get through tight areas more easily. He carries barrels in front of himself.

The basic ability, jumping, can be done by both Kongs to defeat enemies, cross pits, or to simply jump to access higher areas. Both Kongs also have the ability to roll or cartwheel into foes. This can defeat the enemies much more easily than jumping on them, and it also gives the heroes an extra speed boost. Sometimes, the Kongs will find themselves requiring to cross a wide abyss too large to jump over. With their cartwheel and roll moves, they can perform a super-jump, making them roll over the gap and jumping in mid-air for an extra boost. Bouncing on a tire can give them an extra boost in the air as well.

Though not used as much as jumping and rolling, the Kongs can also climb ropes and swim through water. To climb, the heroes must simply jump up and touch a rope. Climbing can be useful when crossing large gaps, though it can only be done on ropes. Jumping rope-to-rope is common in some levels, but luckily, the Kongs have no trouble in grabbing onto other ropes. During underwater levels, the apes will also use their ability to swim. Tapping the A Button while swimming can make the Kongs move higher as they slowly float downwards. When the Kongs swim, they do not have as much control as on land. Additionally, unlike in Donkey Kong Country, underwater enemies are invincible due to Enguarde not being present.

Animal Friends[edit]

Unlike Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Land has only two Animal Friends, Rambi the Rhino and Expresso the Ostrich, with each appearing in only four levels apiece. The Animal Friends here are unable to shoot through barrels, and they will suddenly drop to the ground once these obstacles are approached.

Image Name Description First level appearance Last level appearance
GB SGB
Rambi Sprite of Rambi from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as he appears in Jungle Jaunt Rambi The rhino buddy is able to charge into enemies to easily defeat them. He can also break through certain walls to create an opening to a Bonus Area. Jungle Jaunt Mountain Mayhem
A sprite of a Expresso the Ostrich from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of Expresso from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as he appears in Deck Trek bonus 2 Expresso The ostrich is able to help the Kongs cross wide abysses with his useful flying abilities. Out of his four appearances, three of them take place in a Bonus Area. Expresso is able to defeat enemies in this game by jumping on them, unlike in Donkey Kong Country. Deck Trek Collapsing Clouds

Enemies and hazards[edit]

Donkey Kong Land involves over twenty different enemies and hazards, although most first appeared in Donkey Kong Country. Noticeably, many of them remain common throughout the whole game, not making a final appearance until the last world, the Big Ape City.

Image Name Description First level appearance Last level appearance
GB SGB
An Army from the game Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of an Army from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Tyre Trail Army These armadillos roll at the Kongs on sight, and their quick and erratic movements can make them troublesome to deal with. Donkey Kong can jump on them to instantly defeat them, but Diddy Kong can only do so when it is not rolling; if he does so while it is, it will simply uncurl temporarily. Tire Trail Button Barrel Blast
Chomps, an underwater enemy from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Chomps from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Chomp's Coliseum Chomps Chomps are sharks that swim back-and-forth or endlessly forward while bobbing up-and-down slightly. Their sprites take the appearance of Chomps Jr. from the previous game. Chomp's Coliseum Oil Drum Slum (Bonus Area)
Clambo in Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a Clambo from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Nautilus Chase Clambo Unlike in Donkey Kong Country, Clambos block narrow passages by opening and closing their large, upwards-pointing shells. Nautilus Chase
A Fangfish's sprite from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Fangfish from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Kremlantis Kaos Fangfish* Fangfish are large basses even bigger than Chomps. Their attack pattern is the same, but with more erratic bobbing. Kremlantis Kaos Oil Drum Slum (Bonus Area)
Flapper sprite Sprite of a Flapper from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Kremlantis Kaos Flapper* Flappers are mussels that live in the waters of Kremlantis. When a Kong approaches a Flapper, it emerges from its shell and starts alternating between slowly floating downwards and flapping its valves to quickly move back up. Kremlantis Kaos Chomp's Coliseum
A Gloop in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Gloop from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Kremlantis Kaos Gloop* Gloops are fish smaller than Chomps that act similar, but do not bob at all. They are often found in parallel pairs. Kremlantis Kaos Oil Drum Slum (Bonus Area)
The Gnawty in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Gnawty from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun Gnawty Gnawties are beavers who are the weakest enemies in the game; they can be defeated by any attack from the Kongs. They usually have a set path, but can also be found walking forward endlessly. Freezing Fun Oil Drum Slum
Hogwash the Flying Pig from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Hogwash the Flying Pig from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun Hogwash the Flying Pig* Hogwashes are flying pigs that either have a path to follow or fly in a straight line. They can be defeated with any attack method. Freezing Fun Skyscraper Caper
Klaptrap's sprite from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Klap Trap from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Riggin' Rumble Klap Trap Very small crocodiles that crawl fast on the ground while gnashing their teeth. Neither Donkey nor Diddy Kong can roll or cartwheel over a Klaptrap, because its teeth are harmful; not even attacking from behind is safe in this game. A single stomp on its back or throwing a barrel at it is necessary to defeat it. Riggin' Rumble Skyscraper Caper
The Kritter Kremling sprite from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Kritter from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Kritter A Kritter is a generic Kremling found in most of the levels in the game. Kritters are as vulnerable as Gnawties, and they also harm the Kongs by simply walking into them. However, Kritters may also jump in various ways. Jungle Jaunt Oil Drum Slum
Krusha, as he appears in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Krusha from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Tricky Temple Krusha Krushas act similar to walking Kritters but are among the tougher enemies, being resistant to all of the Kongs' attacks except for Donkey Kong's stomp or a thrown barrel. When Donkey or Diddy Kong roll into a Krusha, it will push them back and start laughing at them. Tricky Temple Oil Drum Slum
This is a nut-spitting bird named Mini-Necky in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Mini-Necky from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Deck Trek Mini-Necky Miniature vultures that fly in place and spit volleys of coconuts at the Kongs periodically. Deck Trek Fast Barrel Blast
Necky, a vulture enemy from the game, Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Necky from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Congo Carnage Necky Rare vultures that stay on the top of small hills and cover themselves with one wing, occasionally peeking out to throw three nuts in different directions. Congo Carnage Pot Hole Panic
Nemo, as it appears in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Nemo from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Nautilus Chase Nemo* Nemos are enormous nautiluses that act similar to the Croctopuses in Donkey Kong Country, but are more aggressive and agile. Before pursuing the Kongs and after reaching the end of one's territory, Nemos stay inside their shells, inertly. Nautilus Chase
The sprite of a Slippa from the game, Donkey Kong Land. Slippa's sliding sprite for Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a Slippa from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Sprite of a climbing Slippa from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Riggin' Rumble Slippa Slippas are coral snake-like reptiles that crawl on the ground and can be defeated by any attack the Kongs have. Some instead slide down ropes and can only be defeated with barrels. Jungle Jaunt Oil Drum Slum
A sprite of a Swirlwind from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a Swirlwind from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Snake Charmer's Challenge Swirlwind* Swirlwinds are sentient, invincible tornadoes found in temple levels. They are harmful when they are touched by the sides, yet also helpful to reach higher areas, as Swirlwinds send the Kongs up high when they bounce on them. When a Kong is close to a Swirlwind, the tornado will start to chase him; bouncing on a Swirlwind also makes it move. Snake Charmer's Challenge Swirlwind Storm
Zinger the wasp in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Zinger from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun Zinger The Zingers are wasp enemies found in almost every level of Donkey Kong Land. They fly from one point to another, in circles, or just flap their wings in the air while remaining still.They can only be defeated with a thrown barrel or jumping on it while riding an Animal Friend. Freezing Fun Oil Drum Slum
Obstacles
Image Name Description First level appearance Last level appearance
GB SGB
Sprite of a basket of snakes Sprite of a rolling basket of snakes from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a standing basket of snakes from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Snake Charmer's Challenge Sprite of a rolling basket of snakes from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Snake Charmer's Challenge Basket of snakes* An infinite amount of Slippas can come out of a snake basket, an obstacle which replaces the black drums from Donkey Kong Country. The baskets themselves are only dangerous when they roll down the stairs and towards the Kongs. Otherwise, they can even be used as platforms, and when stood upon, Slippas will not come out. Baskets of snakes can be broken with TNT Barrels. Snake Charmer's Challenge
Sprite of a boulder in a stage from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a boulder from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Mountain Mayhem Boulder* Boulders fall from holes in the wall or from the top of the screen in mountain stages. Mountain Mayhem Landslide Leap
Sprite of a coconut from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a coconut from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Deck Trek Coconut Projectiles used by both Neckys and Mini-Neckys. Deck Trek Fast Barrel Blast
Sprite of Hard Hat's version of the Crownerang attack from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of King K. Rool's version of the Crownerang attack from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of the Crownerang attack from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Mad Mole Holes Sprite of the Crownerang attack from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in K. Rool's Kingdom Crownerang Hard Hat and K. Rool throw their headwear as a boomerang as their respective primary attack. Mad Mole Holes K. Rool's Kingdom
A sprite of a Mincer from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Mincer from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Deck Trek bonus 1 Mincer Indestructible tires with spikes that fly in the same patterns as Zingers. Mincers usually appear in Bonus Areas. Deck Trek (Bonus Area) Button Barrel Blast (Bonus Area)
Oil drum Sprite of an oil drum from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Landslide Leap bonus 2 Oil drum Oil drums are rare obstacles in the game. They can hover in the air immobile, serving as platforms, but some of them host dangerous flames of fire that burst out of them and retract from time to time, necessitating good timing to pass them. An oil drum can be destroyed with a TNT Barrel. Landslide Leap (Bonus Area) Oil Drum Slum
Sprite of a pearl from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a pearl from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Seabed Showdown Pearl The Giant Clam shoots these at the Kongs; rebounding them is key to defeating it. Seabed Showdown

* - Was not in Donkey Kong Country

Bosses[edit]

Throughout the Kongs' quest, they not only find the enemies listed above, but also several bosses, who require a little more skill to beat. Each boss appears at the end of all the game's worlds, and must be defeated to allow the heroes to progress. Each one has a simple attack pattern, but their speed goes up considerably the more times they are hit.

Image Name Description Location Level name
GB SGB
Wild Sting from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of Wild Sting from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Wild Sting Fling Wild Sting Wild Sting is the first boss of the game, encountered on Gangplank Galleon. It is a flying stingray that swoops back-and-forth at the Kongs, and must be stomped several times in order to defeat it. Gangplank Galleon Ahoy! Wild Sting Fling
Giant Clam Sprite of the Giant Clam from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Seabed Showdown Giant Clam The Giant Clam is the second boss in the game. It is fought underwater, and continuously shoots pearls at the Kongs. They need to lure it into shooting a dormant-but-warping Clambo with a pearl, causing its shell to open and knock the pearl back at the boss. It needs to be hit like this several times in order to make it fall off-screen. Kremlantis Seabed Showdown
The enemy boss Hard Hat from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of Hard Hat from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Mad Mole Holes Hard Hat Hard Hat is a mad mole fought in a cavern whose ground is dug up in three holes, from which the boss comes out. The battle with Hard Hat is similar to a "whack-a-mole" game; he pops out of one of the three holes, looks cautiously at the Kongs, then takes off the mine helmet he wears on the head and hurls it at them, at which point the Kongs need to carefully dodge the mine helmet and then stomp on the boss's head. After being hit, Hard Hat will enter back in his den and burst out of another hole. The process must be repeated until Hard Hat is defeated. Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds Mad Mole Holes
King K. Rool Sprite of King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as he appears in K. Rool's Kingdom King K. Rool The king of the Kremlings is the very last boss of Donkey Kong Land. He appears to be much smaller than in Donkey Kong Country, but nonetheless, he attacks the Kongs just like he did before, as well as similar to Hard Hat. King K. Rool throws his crown at the heroes, which inflicts damage to them. While the Kremling does not have his crown on the head, Donkey or Diddy need to stomp him, after which he wiill run around the arena and occasionally leap over the Kongs. They must repeat this process until K. Rool falls beaten. Big Ape City K. Rool's Kingdom

Items[edit]

Many items can be found around Donkey Kong Land, and each help the duo complete levels or defeat enemies. Each item has a different purpose.

Image Name Description
GB SGB
The sprite of a simple banana from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a banana from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt, Balloon Barrage bonus 2, and Fast Barrel Blast bonus 2 Bananas Bananas are the most abundant items in the game. Donkey or Diddy Kong can collect 100 of them in exchange for an extra life.
The sprite of a Banana Bunch from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Banana Bunch from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun Banana Bunch Banana Bunches are a group of Bananas, bunched together for a value of ten Bananas.
The Game Boy sprite of a Life Balloon from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Life Balloon from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt bonus 2 Life Balloon Life Balloons give an extra life to the Kongs. These balloons fly away fast, so the Kongs must make sure they act fast to get them. Unlike Donkey Kong Country, the player cannot distinguish between value or color because of the Game Boy's monochrome palette. Therefore, every Life Balloon only grants one life.
One side of Kong Token depicts Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Land. One side of Kong Token depicts Diddy Kong in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Kong Token from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in the file select Sprite of a Kong Token from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in the file select Kong Tokens Kong Tokens first appear in this game. They are featured in almost every level, mainly in Bonus Areas. In certain Bonus Areas, the Kongs can exchange a certain number of Kong Tokens for extra lives.
Sprite of the letter K from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of the letter O from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of the letter N from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of the letter G from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a K from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Sprite of an O from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Sprite of an N from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Sprite of a G from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt and Fast Barrel Blast bonus 2 KONG Letters KONG Letters are an essential item. Every level has each letter of KONG letter scattered throughout in order. KONG Letters have a different role than in Donkey Kong Country because all four of a level's KONG Letters must be collected to save the game. This mechanism replaces Candy's Save Point. Additionally, in the level, Kong Krazy, KONG Letters can be used as platforms.

Objects[edit]

Many objects can also be interacted with in different ways.

Mechanisms[edit]

Image Name Description
GB SGB
Sprite of an animal crate for Rambi from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of an animal crate for Expresso from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of an animal crate for Rambi from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Sprite of an animal crate for Expresso from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Deck Trek bonus 2 Animal crate These contain either Rambi or Expresso, depending on which is pictured.
Sprite of a balloon from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a balloon from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Construction Site Fight Balloon Small platforms that constantly rise and fall as they inflate and deflate.
Sprite of a boulder on the map from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a boulder from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Gangplank Galleon Ahoy! Boulders Aside from the harmful falling boulders in mountain levels, some boulders appear as roadblocks on the world map and require an Explosive Barrel to destroy.
Sprite of a button from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a button from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Simian Swing bonus 2, Tyre Trail bonus 1, and Fast Barrel Blast bonus 1 Button Large switches that trigger different effects. Usually, they are used to exchange Kong Tokens for lives, though in Button Barrel Blast, they change the Button Barrels' direction.
Sprite of a cloud from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a cloud from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Simian Swing bonus 1 and Riggin' Rumble Cloud Platforms that dissipate after being landed on.
An unactivated Continue Point from Donkey Kong Land. An activated Continue Point from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of an inactive Continue Point from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Sprite of an active Continue Point from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Continue Point This object replaces the Star Barrel from Donkey Kong Country. When touched, it automatically saves the player's progress at that point into that level. Continue Points appear in every non-boss level and can be found more than once in a level.
Sprite of a stone elevator from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a rail-based elevator from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of an arrow-based elevator from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a stone elevator from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Riggin' Rumble bonus 2 Sprite of a rail-based elevator from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Snake Charmer's Challenge bonus 1 Sprite of an arrow-based elevator from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Sky High Caper Elevator Platforms that move in various ways. Some simply move back-and-forth, some move along a lengthy path, and some change movement direction when jumped on or hitting a wall.
An end of stage point. Sprite of an end of stage from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt End of stage These portals take the Kongs back to the world map and open the following path on the map if there is one.
Sprite of a KONG button from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a KONG button from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Kong Krazy KONG button Special switches only found in Kong Krazy, where they turn the player's KONG Letters into platforms.
Sprite of a rope from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a rope from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Rope Vertical ropes can be climbed. Some can carry the Kongs horizontally, and others rise from holes in the ground and can be ridden to a bonus room. In Rope Ravine and Tricky Temple, some ropes are instead swung from and in Skyscraper Caper and Oil Drum Slum, they move the Kongs up or down automatically. In construction site stages, ones in the background are visually replaced by chains.
Sprite of the rebound sponge from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of the rebounding sponge from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Seabed Showdown Sponge[5] A harmless, Clambo-like creature appears in the corners of the arena at Seabed Showdown, and is used to knock back the pearls the Giant Clam shoots using its shell.
Sprite of a tire from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a tire from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a half tire from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun Sprite of a full tire from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Tricky Temple Tire Bouncy wheels that can be used to jump high. Some are embedded in the ground, some can be rolled on top of it, and some float in one position in the air.

Barrels[edit]

Most of the barrels in Donkey Kong Land originate from Donkey Kong Country.

Throwable barrels
Image Name Description
GB SGB
A Barrel in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a barrel from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Barrel These wooden kegs are very rare items and only appear in three levels. They can be thrown at enemies and bust open walls, both of which destroy the Barrel.
A Buddy Barrel from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a Buddy Barrel from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Jungle Jaunt Buddy Barrel Buddy Barrels are the most common Barrel. They can provide a missing Kong, most likely from if it was hit by an enemy. Upon being freed, an icon of the freed Kong displays at the bottom-right corner of the screen, as only one Kong appears on screen at a time. If both Kongs are present, they can use a DK Barrel like a normal one.
Sprite of a Steel Keg in Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a steel keg from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Congo Carnage Steel keg Steel kegs are a stronger projectile than normal barrels. If a steel keg hits a wall, it rebounds instead of breaking. They cannot be destroyed, and can roll into more than one enemy. DK or Diddy can even ride on a rolling steel keg by jumping onto it.
A sprite of a TNT Barrel from Donkey Kong Land. Sprite of a TNT Barrel from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Deck Trek TNT Barrel TNT Barrels are often found in levels, and can be defeat enemies if thrown at them, including oil drums. They are explosive and are able to blast away more things than normal Barrels.
Enterable barrels
Image Name Description
GB SGB
Sprite of a Barrel Cannon from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a Barrel Cannon from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun Barrel Cannon Barrel Cannons shoot out the Kongs when the player pushes a button.
Sprite of a Blast Barrel from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a Blast Barrel from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Freezing Fun and Riggin' Rumble bonus 1 Blast Barrel Blast Barrels are Barrel Cannons that shoot out the Kongs automatically.
Sprite of a Blast Barrel from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of a Blast Barrel from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Landslide Leap bonus 2 and Button Barrel Blast Button Barrel Button Barrels are Blast Barrels whose direction is adjusted through in-game buttons.
Triggerable barrels
Image Name Description
GB SGB
Sprite of an explosive barrel from Donkey Kong Land Sprite of an explosive barrel from Donkey Kong Land on the Super Game Boy, as it appears in Deck Trek Explosive Barrel These can be collected in a few stages to destroy roadblocking boulders on the overworld.

Levels[edit]

Note: Some musical compositions of the game are 8-bit arrangements of other compositions from Donkey Kong Country, which were created by David Wise. They are listed with their original title in the "Music theme" sectors of the following table. Graeme Norgate also participated with several new tunes, also listed here. Their names are posted on Norgate's website, and according to him, they pertain to the game's soundtrack filenames.

Levels and Bonus Areas
Gangplank Galleon Ahoy!
# Level Bonus Areas Type of level Music theme
1 Jungle Jaunt 2 Jungle DK Island Swing
2 Freezing Fun 1 Snow Ice Cave Chant
3 Simian Swing 2 Jungle DK Island Swing
4 Deck Trek 2 Ship Gang-Plank Galleon
5 Rope Ravine 2 Snow Ice Cave Chant
6 Tire Trail 3 Jungle DK Island Swing
7 Riggin' Rumble 2 Ship Gang-Plank Galleon
8 Congo Carnage 2 Jungle DK Island Swing
9 Arctic Barrel Arsenal 2 Snow Ice Cave Chant
10 BOSS LEVEL: Wild Sting Fling 0 Ship Boss
Kremlantis
# Level Bonus Areas Type of level Music theme
11 Tricky Temple 1 Temple Voices of the Temple
12 Kremlantis Kaos 0 Underwater ruins Kremlantis
13 Reef Rampage 0 Coral Aquatic Ambiance
14 Snake Charmer's Challenge 1 Temple Voices of the Temple
15 Chomp's Coliseum 0 Underwater ruins Kremlantis
16 Nautilus Chase 0 Coral Aquatic Ambiance
17 Swirlwind Storm 1 Temple Voices of the Temple
18 BOSS LEVEL: Seabed Showdown 0 Underwater ruins Boss
Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds
# Level Bonus Areas Type of level Music theme
19 Pot Hole Panic 2 Cave Cave Dweller Concert
20 Mountain Mayhem 2 Mountain Mountain
21 Track Attack 2 Clouds Sky
22 Spiky Tire Trail 2 Cave Cave Dweller Concert
23 Sky High Caper 1 Clouds Sky
24 Landslide Leap 2 Mountain Mountain
25 Collapsing Clouds 2 Clouds Sky
26 BOSS LEVEL: Mad Mole Holes 0 Caves Boss
Big Ape City
# Level Bonus Areas Type of level Music theme
27 Construction Site Fight 2 Skyscraper Building Site
28 Kong Krazy 1 Blimp Airship
29 Balloon Barrage 2 Construction site Construction Site
30 Fast Barrel Blast 2 Blimp Airship
31 Skyscraper Caper 1 Skyscraper Building Site
32 Button Barrel Blast 2 Construction site Construction Site
33 Oil Drum Slum 2 Skyscraper Building Site
34 BOSS LEVEL: K. Rool's Kingdom 0 Blimp Boss

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Land staff

Main Programming[edit]

  • Paul Machacek

Support Programming[edit]

  • Steve Patrick
  • Oliver Norton

Scenery[edit]

  • Dean Smith

Sprite Graphics[edit]

Additional Graphics[edit]

  • Neil Crook

Glitches[edit]

Instant Death[edit]

If Donkey or Diddy fall with no visible ground below, the game will mistake the player for falling into a pit and will count it as an instant death, even if both Kongs are present. This includes being knocked back by enemies, but also can happen if either Kong falls to a platform below that is off screen.

Missing Nuts[edit]

In some levels, particularly jungle levels, there are Neckys that sit on platforms and spit nuts, hoping to hit the Kongs when they're below him. However, if Necky is on the top of the screen, the sound effect of spitting nuts can be heard, but no nuts are actually fired.

Missing Kong[edit]

In some cases the player can obtain the second Kong from a DK barrel, but after getting hit it will still result in a death instead of the other Kong appearing in his place.

Super Game Boy Title Screen Palette Bug[edit]

Donkey Kong Land's title screen on a Super Game Boy when the user overrides the palette.

When playing on a Super Game Boy, if the game is on the title screen and the user overrides the palette (either by pressing X Button to quickly toggle the palette, or L Button+R Button to open the palette selector), the screen has an inverted palette, causing graphical weirdness. This is because this screen has four palettes (for the logo, the Kongs, and Rambi), and the Super Game Boy only allows one background color to be shared across all palettes, which in this case is black (leaving only three colors left for each palette). Since the background color is black, the game inverts the Game Boy's background palette colors to work around this limitation, and then assigns the other colors in a way to hide the inversion. However, Donkey Kong Land does not block the player from replacing the colors, so many of the Super Game Boy's built-in palettes appear inverted relative to other games.

In Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III, the palettes are inverted throughout the entire game, since every screen has more than one palette (the life bar and level names at the bottom of the screen use a different palette from the rest of the screen), and the shared background color is once again black. However, these games prohibit the user from changing the colors by using the Super Game Boy's ICON_EN command, which hides this issue and effectively fixes the bug.

Nintendo eShop description[edit]

Cranky Kong doesn't think Donkey Kong has proven himself to be a hero yet. So, he decides to work out a deal with the closest villain that he knows. K. Rool and his baddies have hidden bananas in new places across Donkey Kong Island in another attempt to outwit the best-friend duo. And the only response is for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to go off on another adventure! With over 30 levels plus tons of hidden secrets, swing, roll, jump, and barrel blast through worlds swarming with returning and original enemies. Creep along a mysterious pirate ship, trudge through fierce snow, swim in an unbelievable aquatic temple, and start some crazy capers in the sky. There will also be some animal friends waiting to help out. Cranky Kong is off his rocker if he thinks Donkey Kong won't step up to the challenge.

Reception[edit]

On release, Famitsu scored Donkey Kong Land a 24 out of 40.

Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo 3DS Dave Frear, Nintendo Life 8/10 "Going by that instruction book story, the idea that this game would prove Donkey Kong Country was more than just a pretty face is demonstrated rather nicely. Whilst visually it can't come close to the SNES title, by Game Boy standards these are definitely "fancy graphics", and that doesn't really matter as fans can rejoice in what is basically an extra 34 levels of DKC. Tight controls and a variety of locations and enemies make for an enjoyable platformer. Add in the challenge of finding everything and Donkey Kong Land is a fun game that will keep players occupied for some time."
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
GameRankings 74.53%

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Land pre-release and unused content

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Land.

Media[edit]

Audio.svg Main Theme
File infoMedia:Main_Theme_Menagerie_-_Donkey_Kong_Land.mp3
Audio.svg Jungle theme
File infoMedia:DKL Jungle.oga
Audio.svg Gangplank Galleon
File infoMedia:Gangplank Galleon DKL.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese スーパードンキーコングGB
Sūpā Donkī Kongu Jībī
Super Donkey Kong GB

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20140326050637/http://www.nintendo.co.jp/3ds/eshop/vc/ra3j/
  2. ^ ESRB official website
  3. ^ Nintendo UK
  4. ^ Super Donkey Kong GB page on Nintendo of Japan's website.
  5. ^ Donkey Kong Land, Nintendo Magazine System (UK) WORLD EXCLUSIVE Review booklet, page 15. "Tackling this Boss on the swim places our boys in a more precarious position than they’d like. Clambo fires pearls the size of cannon balls from the safety of its shell. They’re valuable, sure, but the damage they cause is more costly. The only other object in Clambo’s lair is a sponge, which chooses to disappear and reappear in random comers of the room. What folly is this!"